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Laila Ali Speaks on Colin Kaepernick Protest

The legendary Muhammad “The Greatest” Ali passed away at the age of 74 this year. However, he is vicariously still living through his youngest daughter and boxing champion Laila Ali.

In an exclusive interview, Mrs. Ali gave her compelling and culturally relevant opinions on a number of subjects. Ali spoke with The Grio correspondent Ashanti Hathaway about the silent protests of NFL quarterback and fellow athlete Colin Kaepernick and other issues, which dealt with race in America.

Mrs. Ali told Hathaway how she felt about Kaepernick’s protests at the beginning of NFL games during the singing of the national anthem. She commended him for taking kneels during the pre-game ceremonies. However, she also spoke critically about the public’s perceived Kaepernick comparisons to her late father, who was known for his outspoken demeanor and firm position against racial injustice.

“There are some issues with our, you know, flag and our anthem and all those things that need to be changed and need to be addressed,” Ali told Hathaway during a Facebook Live interview.

“Maybe this will start a national conversation that some people might not want to have,” she continued.

Ali went on to address the current cases of deadly police shootings that have killed black men and the silence Kaepernick’s racist critics have taken up recently. Hathaway then asked Ali how she felt about how Kaepernick’s activism has gotten him compared to her father.

“Well there is some comparison there because he’s standing up for what he believes in when it has to do with social issues and racism and all those things. But obviously my dad did a whole lot more,” Ali said.

“I can’t speak now, but we’ll see. I don’t personally think it’ll have the same type of impact. It’s a different time, it’s a different person and I don’t expect anybody to be like my father,” she continued.

Ali also talked about her stance on what is known as “social media activism.” She said she believed that posting on social media about injustice is not all a person should be doing in the fight to raise awareness on racism, police brutality, and other issues that are destroying the nation.

“I use Facebook. But sometimes for issues where people are dying and things like that…For me, I don’t feel the need to just go post on Facebook. What is that really doing?…..For me I always ask the question ‘What should I be doing?’ Posting is not enough,” Ali added.

Source: heathlyblackwomen.com

Date Posted: Saturday, September 24th, 2016 , Total Page Views: 557

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